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** Avonworth ** Coach: Doug Vandervort (18th year) Returning Starters: 6-2 senior outside hitter Emily Ferketic 5-11 junior middle/outside hitter Makenna Gavin 5-7 outside hitter Marion Haney 5-2 defensive specialist Hannah Banks 5-10 middle hitter Olivia Scrabis Season Outlook: I would like to think that we are the favorite in your section. Our section has changed significantly and there are many good teams but I think we can compete with anyone. WPIAL Favorite: Freeport would have to remain the favorite. --------------------------------------- ** Beaver ** Coach: Tyler Szymanski (1st year) Returning Starters: 5-9 outside hitter Eden McElhaney 5-8 outside/right hitter Lauren Sullivan 5-6 setter/defensive specialist Alyssa Ross Season Outlook: Going to be very young but talented. Expect us to improve every game this year and have a successful season. Section Favorite: Beaver, Neshannock. I don't know much about other teams since this is my first year. Young Players to Watch: Beaver's Eden McElhaney, a sophmore outside hitter. --------------------------------------- ** Burrell ** Coach: Kourtney Foriska (4th year) Returning Starters: 5-8 junior outside hitter/setter Sara Novak 5-10 senior middle hitter Hannah Pastor 5-8 senior middle Reghan Kennedy Season Outlook: Expect to be competitive in the section and make the playoffs. --------------------------------------- ** Chartiers-Houston ** Coach: Sean Cleary (5th year at CH, 16th year overall) Returning Starters: 5-8 senior setter Paige Counihan 5-8 senior outside Hitter Brittany Palfreyman Season Outlook: Our program is looking to put our best effort in every night and work for best outcome every match. Every match will have possible playoff implications, since we are competing in one of the best AA sections in WPIAL. Section Favorite: There is so much historical playoff level teams within our section anyone can win on any given night and section champions will be probably decided the final week of section competition. Young Players to Watch: Mallory Glancy, sophomore, setter, Upper St. Clair Krista McNeil, junior, outside hitter, Canon-McMillan --------------------------------------- ** Deer Lakes ** Coach: Terry Gaston (5th year) Returning Starters: senior middle hitter Kaylee Sciubba senior outside hitter Lydia Fink junior setter Renee Robson. Season Outlook: This is my fifth year as head coach making the playoffs the last three seasons and losing to Freeport last year in the WPIAL quarter finals. I am looking to go further this year and really believe that we will once again compete with Freeport and Derry for the section title. I have three returning starters. This team has been working very hard and has a great commitment to be successful. Young Players to Watch: As far as young impact players I believe I have 2 in sophomore right-side hitter Cameron Simurda and sophomore libero Christiana Saldimarco. --------------------------------------- ** Derry ** Coach: Brock Smith (21st year) Returning Starters: 5-5 senior setter RaeAnna Ressler 5-1 senior libero Lauren Enos 5-10 junior middle hitter Rylee Ellis 5-8 junior outside hitter Kamryn Kelly Season Outlook: We will look to become a better ball control team and hope to be smarter hitters. Currently we do not have the terminal hitting that we have had in years past, however, we have experience in every position, which should enable us to be competitive. Section Favorite: Freeport should once again be the favorite in our section WPIAL Favorite: As for the WPIAL, I believe that again it is Freeport. --------------------------------------- ** East Allegheny ** Coach: Danielle Healis (2nd year) Returning Starters: outside hitter Lexis White outside hitter Taylar Getsy middle/right hitter Amia Johnson outside/middle hitter Marleigh Johnston libero/defensive specialist Ataya Dixon middle hitter C-Keiyah Marshall setter Lilly Henderson Season Outlook: To do better than last year. Section Favorite: Favorite what? WPIAL Favorite: Favorite what? Young Players to Watch: Amia Johnson, Ataya Dixon, Ckeiyah Marshall --------------------------------------- ** Ellwood City ** Coach: Jenna Ricciuti (3rd year) Returning Starters: 5-5 senior setter Mia Decaria 5-8 senior middle hitter Natalia Greco 5-7 senior outside hitter Anna Ferrucci 5-11 junior middle hitter Saylee Grinnen 5-7 junior outside hitter Madison Krugh 5-6 junior outside hitter Avory Elchison 5-5 junior defensive specialist Taylor Covert Season Outlook: Strong, eager playoff contenders. Section Favorite: Beaver Young Players to Watch: For our team, sophomore outside hitters Breanna Reisinger and Maria Ioanilli will make a great impact, making for an exciting future. --------------------------------------- ** Frazier ** Coach: Mandy Hartman (21st year) Returning Starters: Junior outside hitter Skye Eicher Junior Setter/outside hitter Logan Hartman Junior middle hitter Sierra Twigg Junior Right Side Riley Scott Junior Libero Kathryn Barch Junior middle hitter Gabrielle Alekson Sophomore Right Side Kaelyn Shaporka Sophomore Setter Alexis Lovis Season Outlook: Frazier moved to a new classification this year so that will bring new challenges for us. We did not have a senior on last year's team so we do bring back a solid team that had much success last year. Section Favorite: We are looking to be very competitive in our new section. Waynesburg and Beth Center were the frontrunners last year and I look for them to be competitive again this year. WPIAL Favorite: Freeport should be very strong once again. --------------------------------------- ** Freedom ** Coach: Brad Baldwin and Jillian Zentko (2nd year as co-head coaches) Returning Starters: senior outside hitter Jenna Engel senior outside hitter Sara Schoedel junior middle hitter Morgan Swab junior libero Shyann Komara sophomore setter Madison Lewis sophomore setter Alexis Surenda sophomore middle hitter Emily Ostrowski Section Favorite: Avonworth. Young Players to Watch: Sophomore Setter Kylie Altvatter --------------------------------------- ** Freeport ** Coach: Tom Phillips (17th year) Returning Starters: 5-11 senior outside/right hitter Allison DeJidas 6-3 senior middle hitter Sarah Hettich 5-8 junior outside hitter Lauren Lampus 5-10 senior middle/right hitter Haley Graham 5-7 junior outside hitter Torri Radvan 5-9 junior setter Maddie Clark Season Outlook: My girls have been working very hard all summer, winning both the Pitt Elite League and also the Kiski League. I have six returning starters that were signifigant players on our state champion team. We have a very strong core group that is experienced and very dedicated. I feel our depth at all positions will be a positive as the season wears on and we will be ready to defend last year's title. Young Players to Watch: I have two kids that I think will be impact players to watch. Isabella Russo, a 6-1 junior, has had a tremendous summer and will be a force to deal with in the middle as well as outside. Freshman newcomer Erika Lampus has also been terrific for us and will be only the third player in school history to start on the varsity team as a freshman. Erika will be our Libero. --------------------------------------- ** Hopewell ** Coach: Terry Borkovic (29th year) Returning Starters: 5-8 senior outside hitter, Jenn Sirianni 6-0 senior middle hitter, Savannah Gill 5-0 senior libero, Shellby Kerec 5-9 sophomore Alexis Thompson Season Outlook: We are very young and inexperienced. But, we are very talented. By seasons end, we could surprise some teams. Section Favorite: In no special order, Avonworth, North Catholic and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will have very strong teams. WPIAL Favorite: Probably, Freeport Young Players to Watch: Leah Driscoll, a 5-10 sophomore outside hitter, will be an impact player for Hopewell. --------------------------------------- ** Keystone Oaks ** Coach: Michael O'Leary (2nd year) Returning Starters: 5-4 senior libero Nikki Detorakis 5-10 senior middle hitter Sarah Koropal 5-7 senior outside hitter Abby O'Farrell 5-7 junior outside hitter Erin Feeney 5-7 junior setter Taylor Logan Season Outlook: Lots of young talent coming up this year, we are looking to make the playoffs for the third straight year. Lots of competition for playing time should make us more competitive throughout the season and hopefully help us push further into the playoffs. Section Favorite: Serra Catholic WPIAL Favorite: Beaver and Freeport are always top teams Young Players to Watch: Can't speak for other teams but Isabella Sikora looks to make an impact for us this year at Keystone Oaks. She is a sophomore setter who took big strides with her overall game towards the end of the year last year and throughout the off-season. --------------------------------------- ** McGuffey ** Coach: JoAnn Harshman (33rd year at McGuffey, 34 overall) Returning Starters: senior middle hitter Brin Hunter junior middle hitter Trina White senior defensive specialist Kaitlyn Muncie --------------------------------------- ** Neshannock ** Coach: Andrew Frank (8th year) Returning Starters: 5-11 outside hitter Bella Burrelli 6-0 middle hitter Abby Nigon Season Outlook: Two outstanding seniors and a core group of juniors with some rising freshman and sophomores who will see varsity play, we are defending section champs and look to be as competitive as possible this year to defend the title. Section Favorite: Beaver has moved to our section. They are defending WPIAL champs so they will be tough to beat. WPIAL Favorite: We play Freeport this year twice and will be at their tournament - they are always a favorite. --------------------------------------- ** North Catholic ** Coach: Amanda Fetter (1st year at NC, 7th overall) Returning Starters: 5-5 setter Olivia Kaminski 5-5 libero Lauren Gaertner 5-11 middle hitter Gabriella Mudd 5-6 outside hitter Camryn Heitzenrater Season Outlook: We have a very talented group of hard working girls that compete every minute they are in the gym. If we continue to develop and progress at the pace that we are going currently, we should have a very successful year. We also have a wonderful senior class that is providing great leadership for the group which is really helping the younger kids develop, and a few transfers that have fit into the program very nicely. Section Favorite: I am not that familiar with the section quite yet but I know that Avonworth is always very good and Hopewell is a great program as well. WPIAL Favorite: Freeport Young Players to Watch: Elizabeth Feczko, a sophomore opposite at Pine-Richland. --------------------------------------- ** O.L. Sacred Heart ** Coach: Mike McDonald (31st year) Returning Starters: 5-6 senior setter Sabrina Skukalek 5-6 outside hitter Katie Tarasovich 5-7 senior middle hitter Maddie Hoff 5-11 senior middle hitter Ashley Norling 5-6 junior outside hitter Gianna Platt First-Year Starters 5-5 senior libero Hayley O'Neil 5-5 junior outside hitter Amy Moody 5-6 sophomore opposite Grace Bradley Season Outlook: OLSH finished as the runner up in Class 1A last year, and moves up to Class 2A for the next 2 years as a member of Section 2. The section features AA powers, Avonworth, North Catholic, and Hopewell. South Park moved over from section 4, Freedom and Chartiers-Houston (who also moved up from class 1A), round out the section. McDonald is looking forward to better competition on a regular basis as his team gets used to AA. "I think we will be ok as far as being prepared for this move and I'm excited about the quality of the matches being at a higher level". Section Favorite: Avonworth, North Catholic (just got 2 transfers from Oakland Catholic and a new coach), Hopewell and South Park (both have made the playoffs traditionally on a regular basis). WPIAL Favorite: Freeport, Avonworth, North Catholic, Serra, Seton LaSalle, Beaver, Neshannock, Frazier. --------------------------------------- ** Southmoreland ** Coach: Kristy Bunner (3rd year) Returning Starters: senior Larisa Lombardo senior Justyne Howell senior Tessa Hamborsky junior Sarah Pisula junior Erika Sherbondy junior Abby Fullem junior Courtney Myers --------------------------------------- ** South Park ** Coach: Chad Farrington (1st year) Returning Starters: Unsure, since this is my first season. Season Outlook: Promising, but young, so we will face challenges. We have 10 freshmen and only 1 senior, but we do have some strong talent. I expect us to compete well in a strong new section and battle for a playoff spot. Section Favorite: I'd have to say OLSH would be the favorite. Mike McDonald always has his teams ready to roll. --------------------------------------- ** Waynesburg ** Coach: Dan Higinbotham (6th year) Returning Starters: 5-7 senior defensive specialist Emerson Foringer 5-9 junior setter/hitter Abby Fisher 5-1 junior defensive specialist Peyton Foringer 5-8 junior outside hitter Bailey Pauley 5-8 junior middle hitter Alexis Pantalone Season Outlook: Our team goal is to win the section for the third time in a row but more importantly by winning at least a round 1 playoff game. Section Favorite: I would think Waynesburg and Beth Center are the section favorite but Frazier has been added to our section and they are champs as well. Young Players to Watch: I have a couple young players that will make an impact: 5-10 sophomore middle hitter Riley Bowers and 5-8 sophomore outside hitter Emma Robinson. |